Why Canon?

[stuart_harling]

When I decided to buy a DSLR, the EOS 350D was on sale so I bought it. fantastic value for money and so

easy to use. More recently, I bought a 40D, partly because i already had lenses, partly because the menu is

similar to that of the 350D and also because it is a great camera to handle. Holding the camera, you can just

feel the quality. The Canon menu is simply the easiest and most intuitive that I have come across.

 

I had a play with a colleagues Nikon D60 last week and the menu drove me crazy. Nice camera though, but the lens

ring turning the "wrong" way just feels wrong too. When the 5D is replaced, I may upgrade to its replacement.

[petemillis]

Canon 10D and lenses is what I saw in the pawn shop window for £200 o I bought it. Previously I was always Zenit then Olympus and Nikonos. I would like to buy the Pentax K20D I've been playing with though as it's much more outdoor friendly and better I think.

[mark_brown13]

Canon's film SLR's are a bargain at second hand prices and when thinking ahead I prefered to invest in the Canon system that appeared better for me and easier to upgrade with within the well thought out EOS system. I've just bought my first digital body (40D) this month and am very pleased with it. I have faith in Canon as a company coming through with the goods though I'm sure Nikon are great too the only thing that tempts me is their hardy film SLR's of yore.

 

It also probably helps that I find Canon's marketing more convincing. :-)

[evphotography]

It's about the lenses. If you look at the selection of lenses Canon offers, they have several proffesional grade lenses that you can pick up for $600 or less. When you look at the build quality and how good the glass is, by far one of the best deals out there. They also have always seemed to have a edge in IQ, until recently with Nikon D3, D700 & D300. But with Canon's new offerings coming out, that could change again in Canon's favor.

[williamsmitheyjr.com]

Lenses. Three years ago when I jumped (was pushed?) from 4x5 to Digital, Canon had a reasonably priced full frame camera, the 5d, and a

full line of TS-E lenses. No one else did. That has recently changed (and had I waited I would have missed three years worth of

commercial work) however Canon, IMHO, still has a superior lens line and the best image quality in the business. The gap has narrowed

but the f/4 Canon L Zooms are reason enough to choose Canon over the competition.

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

I love the slippery plastic bodies of the low-priced DSLRs and the controls that always feels as if they are in the wrong place. Photography, after all, should be challenging!

 

Seriously, I'm a Nikon user, so the layout of Nikon cameras feels 'natural' to me. But I have shot quite a bit with my brother-in-law's 5D and his 'L' glass. It's a nice camera, but the glass didn't seem any better than my Nikon glass. And neither comes close to the glass on my Mamiya 7. Anyway, if you can't produce nice photos with either Nikon or Canon, it's because the problem is you. The gear, overall, is excellent.

[dogbert]

It is almost ten years ago that I abandoned Pentax or should I say Pentax abandoned me. I was looking to switch

over to an autofocus system and the EOS 300 had everything I needed. It had an amazingly cheap build, but also

had 7 a point fast autofocus, reliable 35 zone metering, AEB, continous drive modes and on camera flash with TTL

metering. It was a huge step up in convenience from the fully manual camera and flash that I had been using. In

value terms, it was miles ahead of what Pentax was offering at the time.

 

While I see plenty of features in other systems that I like, such as Pentax's in-body stabilisation and Nikon's flash

and AWB system the Canon system suits me overall. In particular the EF-S 10-22 and 24-105 f4L make a great two

lens combination that forms the core of my kit. I am not sure how I could replicate this in another system.

[anthony_zipple]

I had a lot of Canon FD gear, starting with an AE-1 in 1976. The switch to new auto-focus gear was a commitment,

but I was glad that I did it. With a bag of Canon auto-focus lenses, the choice to upgrade to digital Canon bodies was

easy. And I am still very happy with Canon. Four or five FD bodies and a bag of lenses, four auto-focus film bodies

and a bigger bag of lenses, three digital SLR bodies and tow digital P&S cameras later, Canon continues to be a fine

choice. Now if only there was a 5D replacement on the market....

[chrissyone]

My first camera was a Minolta X7A, and I used it for many years happily (it got me through school). I've also had a

Rolleiflex TLR, a Calumet 4x5, a Graflex Speedgraphic, and all manner film point-and-shoots.<p>

When digital invaded our world, I shot a Kodak DCS-1, which belonged to my college. Anyone else remember carrying that pack around?

Yeah. The

view camera seemed nimble in comparison, and we regarded it as more of a toy than a tool.<p>

I put off buying a digital camera for a long time, until I saw the Olympus E-10. I liked it so much, I put all my film gear

(by then mostly covered in dust) up on eBay and bought one. I still have that tank, though it developed electrical problems

a few years after I bought it and ate batteries like Amy Winehouse eats bennies. The flip-out LCD was *so* cool, and let me shoot waist-

level (a shooting style I came to love with the Rollei)<p>

A few years back I bought a Canon S1 IS for my ex. I LOVED that camera, and used the hell out of it until my ex

became my ex and got custody of it. I then bought an S3 IS (because I had to have a better one, of course >.<) and

enjoyed it until I really started getting serious about getting back into shooting. As good of a P&S the S3 is, it's still a

P&S, even if it did have a cool flippy LCD. No hot shoe and no Raw pretty much sealed the deal.<p>

So last year, I took a look at what was on the market. Canon and Nikon mostly, but I looked into Sony, Olympus, etc,

since I didn't have any lenses to tie me to one brand. I was starting fresh. I looked at what Pentax had to offer, and

was just as impressed as I'd ever been with Pentax (not overly). When Olympus tried to tell me that a smaller sensor

was really the way to go, I ruled them out, too. I have been personally offended by crop sensors ever since the DCS-1,

because I like wide angle shooting and I like larger formats and a bigger negative is a better negative (thanks, Ansel). <p>

After much fiddling, debating, and agonizing, I decided to throw in my lot with Canon, mostly because Canons just seem

to be set up right for me. I could pick up a Canon and in under a minute, figure out where everything was and start

shooting. I tried this with Nikon, and was almost instantly frustrated. I don't know if this is because of my experience

with the S3 or just because Nikon puts things in odd places (to me). <p>

I bought an XTi, with an eye toward the 5D. I figured the XTi was a cheap way to get my into Canon and I'd buy a 5D

"someday". I think I made the right choice, both in Canon and the XTi, it's been a phenomenal camera for the price.<p>

Now, "someday" seems to be right around the corner, and I eagerly await Photokina and the possibility of a new 5D. If

it's anything like the latest rumors, I'm in.

[thomas_hardy1]

"I love the slippery plastic bodies of the low-priced DSLRs and the controls that always feels as if they are in the wrong

place. Photography, after all, should be challenging!

 

Seriously, I'm a Nikon user, so the layout of Nikon cameras feels 'natural' to me. But I have shot quite a bit with my

brother-in-law's 5D and his 'L' glass. It's a nice camera, but the glass didn't seem any better than my Nikon glass. And

neither comes close to the glass on my Mamiya 7. Anyway, if you can't produce nice photos with either Nikon or Canon,

it's because the problem is you. The gear, overall, is excellent."

 

 

 

 

If you're using a Nikon of course the controls feel like they're in the wrong place when you pick up a Canon. When I pick

up my RZ the controls feel funny after having used my 'Blad, of course that camera feels funny after having shot all day

with my Rollei 6008I, but then that seems a little weird after fondling the Leica for a while. You know, the Bessa takes

like a WHOLE MINUTE to get used after using my Canon.

 

I just can't figure out how to shoot a Canon ... I'm after all just a mere human.

[Landrum Kelly]

When it appeared that Nikon might never bring out a full-frame DSLR, I bought the 5D in the summer of 2006. At the time Canon was also definitely ahead in terms of low noise at relatively high ISO.

 

Though I have since also bought the 1Ds II and some good Canon lenses, I still miss Nikon in many ways. Canon glass has been very good, however (even better than I thought that it would be), and so I really don't expect to go back. There is no particular reason to do so. They are both very good, as are other brands as well.

 

Before the 5D, the only digital cameras I ever owned were the Olympus E-20 (which I still have and still use occasionally) and the Kodak 14n, which used Nikon glass. Each had its strengths and weaknesses, and I have enjoyed them all.

 

--Lannie

[Landrum Kelly]

By the way, I kept some of my Nikon glass and still use it on the Canon bodies.

 

--Lannie

[funkag]

My family's been using Canon SLRs since the FL mount in the late 1960's, so when it was time for my first SLR, they bought me a Rebel X. Then it was some lenses, then an Elan 7, then a 20d

[gertle]

When I decided to get back into photography, strictly a hobby, I picked up a used Nikon F3 at a local camera shop. Great camera, light as a brick, built like a camera should be. My eyes not being what they used to be (farsighted), I found it hard to achive good focus some times. Autofocus was the answer. Took the F3 back to the same shop looking to trade-in and they showed me the new Canon Elan II with a 28-80 kit lens. He showed me how to load the film the rest was intuitive. Really liking the diopter adjustment on the 40D that I recently upgraded to.

[matroskin]

the first digital rebel was affordable for my student budget (i won't a photography student) and my

brother already had the 10d. <br>

KN

[william_lorman]

I don't think I chose it with the brand loyalty many have for their gear. I've used all sorts of gear for decades including some professional work and much work supporting the technology and I had a lack of bad experiences. That added to Canon being ahead of Nikon when I made the plunge would be the answer.

 

To be honest I find all the stuff from the well known brands to be good, but that probably comes from still using a 58 year old camera and working with the first Kodak modified Canon and Nikon digital SLRs.

 

If push comes to shove I will admit that Canon's IS lenses probably did much to make my commitment to their system. At the time they had both pro and consumer IS lenses in lengths important to me.

[osfania]

I think that you will find that if you put the Canon lenses (not bodies) to the test, that the quality is spotty. I have shot Contax (absolutely the best 35mm lenses and bodies ever made, especially the AX), Nikon, Monolta, Pentax and Canon. Nikon and Pentax lenses are the best out of box, after the Contax. Canon's lens quality control just doesn't match up.

[Andy Collins]

I began looking at Canon because years ago a good friend had a Canon SureShot Max and loved it. Prior to that I

didn't know much about cameras beyond the Olympus InfinityZoom p&s I was using at the time. I read about the EOS

Elan (the first model) and was impressed by the good reviews it got, so in June of '94 i went down to the camera

shop and asked about the Elan. A salesman showed me the then-new EOS A2 as well as the Nikon N90. The A2 felt

better in my hand, so that did it for me. Nothing else, no opinions about whether Nikon was better than Canon or

vice versa, simply the way one felt in my hand. I've stayed with Canon for the most part, although I used a Nikon

D1 and D1H for a brief period. I happen to think that my EOS 1vHS is a phenomenally great camera (the greatest

camera overall, ever!), and even though my 30D is no longer a new camera, it's still an excellent camera to me.

That being said, I don't have the fanboy loyalty to any brand that some folks do; whatever camera does exactly

what I want in a way that I'm most comfortable with, that's the camera I'll buy. The Canon 50D looks like a

wonderful camera, but the D300 looks like a camera worth considering as well. At present though, my 1vHS and my

30D do all that I need cameras to do, and they do it quite well, something I've come to expect from my Canon

cameras, which is why I continue to use them. Plus, there is the amazing 70-200 f/2.8L IS, a lens worth building

a system around in my opinion and my all-time favorite Canon lens.

[osfania]

...and then I read Thomas Hardy's response and I think he is "spot on." BTW, you can buy white gaffer tape to wrap around your long lenses!

[25asa]

My mom and sister bought their first SLR each which my mom got the AE-1. I used that camera some times back when and liked it a lot. I finally got my own 35mm camera which was a T70 and later upgraded to the T90. We've always been a Canon family. When my T90 died twice, I gave up on it and moved on to EOS. Digital was around in 2003, but I still prefered using film- so I got an Elan 7 which I still use today. Since I gathered a few EOS lenses I also ventured into digital a few times, but never kept those cameras. I not long ago got a 1N-HS. Around the time my T90 died, my mom gave me her AE-1 which I still have and use now and then. But I needed autofocus which is why around a later time the Elan 7 was purchased. My eye sight isn't what it used to be. Im happy using my film cameras, but am debating to get into the 5D replacement if it is 21 megapixels. If not I may consider the 50D.

[greglynch]

In Vietnam I first bought a Canon Pellix (that should take you back!) because it was cheaper than a Nikon in the PX and I couldn't stand one of the shits in our unit was was a Nikon snob. Great reason, right? Over the years I had some others film bodies and when I wanted something to shoot pictures of moving animals (show dogs, actually) I tested the autofocus on both Canon and Nikon. At the time, Canon was quick and Nikon was sluggish so I bought a couple of A2 bodies and started building lenses. Then I sold the A2s and went to the EOS3 and absolutely loved it. I liked the ergonomics and the feel of the cameras in my hands. When I sold the film stuff to go digital it was a natural transition because of the ergonomics and my lenses. Image quality? Not a factor in my decision, because I am convinced that Nikon and Canon are pretty much equal. My advice to new people just now buying in is to go to a local shop and feel the product, work with it and pick what feels right and what seems most logical in its operation. This Canon v. Nikon thing never worked for me.

[lake_0571]

Canon has large number of lenses for me to choose.

[alan_rockwood]

Here's a theory. (Maybe I'll start a separate thread on it.) It relates to the topic of this thread, but maybe even more to brand loyalty.

 

Realizing of course that there are exceptions to any rule dealing with human behavior and emotion, my theory is that most Nikon owners are in love with their cameras. (The same goes for Leica.) Canon owners tend to see their cameras more in terms of being the best tools for the job, or perhaps as the most convenient way to do the kind photography they practice, without having that same emotional fervor as the owners of the the other prestige brands.

 

Whadya think of that theory?

[nikolo5]

Oh yeah... i know this story...

 

First, being impressed by the number of L-lenses, eye-control function, as well as big boards of Canon (which are bigger than those of Nikon and others..) I got EOS 30 with eye-control function...

 

However, when the digital era came, I got the best buy -- Nikon D50, and I love it, since the philosophy of Nikon-as-a-camera is in my opinion more strong than the philosophy of Canon-as-a-computer.

 

Now I have D300 and I would chose it again over any Canon (even EOS 1xx), if I have to choose again, at least because it has an external i.e. "real" mirror lock-up, which means nikon produce a camera, not a computer.

Mirror lock up is of course just an example, not critical for me at all..., but the feeling of the Camera. It is something.. Sorry guys..

 

NB.

[avijitsett]

Only Canon brought out first DSLR under USD1000. And my personal feeling is - Canon's picture quality is better than Nikon.